Christmas 2015

Despite all the bad news, we wish you a Merry Christmas or whichever holiday you celebrate.

This has been a tumultuous year on Planet Earth. Not a day goes by that something on the news doesn’t break my heart or send chills and fear through my being.

I think we’ve been given a mild start to winter as a little reprieve from the craziness and chaos.

It’s my prayer that during the next year, we will not succumb to fear, prejudice or hatred toward any group. Yet we will be wise in our decisions to try and keep safe.

I pray that we will find ways to contribute to peace on earth and to reach out to our brothers and sisters who are suffering throughout the world. Let’s not just claim a religious title, but let’s live out the golden rule and let our lights shine, not just with words and prayers, but also with deeds.

I pray that we will respect the consciences of our neighbors who believe differently, because that’s the right thing to do.

I hope that you have or can find peace in your soul and peace in your homes, and that you find ways to spread it beyond your circle. How else will we stop the craziness? Let’s make our own little corner of the world a place where friends, neighbors and strangers can feel at rest. Let’s think of ways to do that.

Friends, I pray for your physical, emotional and spiritual safety now and throughout 2016.

I’d like to quote from my favorite religious text. It’s a message for all of us, and especially now. I suspect no matter what your religious background, that this verse will speak to your heart.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27